Cultivator



(No Model.) 2 Sheetw-Sheet 2.

J- H. ALBRIG'HT.

GULTIVATOR.

Patent No. 423,711 (1 Mar. 18 1890.

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* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. ALBRIGHT, OF LAURELTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

CULYTIVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 423,711, dated March18, 1890. Application filed August 29, 1887. Serial No. 248,188. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern- Be it known that I, JAMES H. ALBRIGHT, acitizen of the United States, residing at Laurelton, in the county ofUnion and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Cultivators, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in cultivators of the class inwhich use is made of wheels, a wheel-frame, and a draft-frame forsupporting the operative parts and adapted to have the driver eitherride upon the machine or walk behind it.

One of the objects of the improvements is to provide a machine that canbe readily guided by the driver either when riding or when walking.

Another object is to provide means for supporting the shovels or plowsin such way that they shall be held down by one or more springs adaptedto yield sufficiently to allow them to rise when encounteringobstructions, in conjunction with a rigid bar by which the operator canat option prevent them from rising-as, for instance, when working inhard ground. i The invention also relates to other matters, which willbe understood from the descri tion given below in connection with theaccompanying drawings.

Figure l is a longitudinal section of a cultivator embodying myimprovements, it being taken on line a: y, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a bottomplan View of the machine, the drag-bars and shovels or plows beingremoved. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the frames and wheels. Fig. 4: isa front view of the frames, showing the particular devices by which thedrag-bars are supported. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the drag-bars andshovels when arranged in one of their positions. Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,11, 12,

13, and let show some of the parts of the machine detached.

In the drawings, 0 0 represent the wheels. A is theaxle, and to this aresecured the longitudinal bars or side pieces B B of thesupporting-frame, these being connected at the front end by thecross-bar B.

e D is the pole or tongue, which is secured to the axle and to thecross-bar B.

A A are brackets or hangers secured to the under side of the axle andextending downward somewhat therefrom.

A A are the wheel-spindles, these being pivoted at a to the saidbrackets A in such -way that the spindles can be turned relatively tothe other parts.

The parts A A A B B constitute the wheel-frame or main supporting-frame,to which the draft devices are secured. These frames may be varied aspreference or circumstances may dictate without departing from theessential features of the invention.

The machine is adapted to support the driver, there being a seat at T,held by the springs or seat bar or bars T, secured to theabove-described frame-work. To enable the driver while in this seat toguide the machine by shifting the spindles A the latter are elongatedinwardly and terminate in footpieces a, suitably shaped to fit the foot.pressing upon one or the other of' these foot pieces or rests a thewheels may be so deflected as to cause the machine to turn to the rightor to the left, as desired. The spindles are by means of pitmen or linksS connected toa cross-bar P, which is pivoted to the tongue, and it willbe seen that if either of the spindles A be pushed forward the otherwill be pushed backward by reason of the motion imparted through thelast-described connecting devices. The movements of the spindles arelimited by means of a stop device in the form, preferably, of a guideloop or stirrup A the upper ends of which are secured to the axle. Thespindles A have anti-friction bear upon the aforesaid stop device orguidepiece A and when they are employed the resistance to the movementof the spindles and wheels is reduced to such an extent that they can bereadily turned intothe desired position.

The steering of the machine can be effected by hand whenever necessaryor desired, for I employ also a lever H and pivot it at h to a bracketfastened to the axle. This lever is connected with the cross-bar P bylink or pitman S, and by drawing it back or thrusting it forward thedriver can while in his seat change the direction of the machine. Thiscan be'used independently of the foot-steering device and in conjunctiontherewithas, for instance, when the wheels are so situated as toresist movement under such force as can be brought to bear through thedrivers foot. These steering devices canv also be brought into operationwhen the driver is walking, there being combined with them, also, ahandlever I, pivoted to the central part of the axle,

- and extending backward, preferably, to points somewhat behind thedrivers seat. It'is projected forward a short distance and alsolaterally from its main longitudinal line, as clearly shown at 'L,.Fig.2. This part 1 is connected by a link or pitman S with the aforesaidpivoted cross-bar P. By throwing lever I to the right or left thespindles and wheels will be turned in such way as to change thedirection of the machine. The link or pitman S can be joined to thecross-bar P on either side of the pivot of the latter, according to thedirection of motion desired. 7

The cultivating devices proper are constructed and attached as follows:N are strong irons firmly securedto the front of the frame B B, therebeing braces W, which are secured to their lower ends, and are'alsofastened to the bars B at points in the rear.

M M represent metal bars, which extend downward from the front cross-barB, they being secured to the latter by eyeb'olts m, so

W W represent supplemental braces, each of which is at oneend fastenedto one of the vertical bars N and at the other end is fastened to thecross-bar B by one of the aforesaid eyebolts m. Upon these parts thedragbarsare supported, they consisting of a main drag-bar R, togetherwith supplemental bars R R R These are preferably made of flat iron, andin order to secure them firmly to the supporting-rods R and give them aswide a base of connection as possible I employ a supplemental bar-Rwhich is joined to the rod R? at one end, the bar B being joined tosaidrod at the other. The barsR R are bentandprovided with eye-pieces attheir ends, which are transverse to the rod R and the eyes in theseparts fit the reduced portions of the rods R so that they can bearagainst the shoulders on the'larger parts; hence they are'kept sepa ratenotwithstanding the great strain that is brought to bear upon them Thebars R,

R and R are bolted to the central drag-bar R, and the bar R is bolted tothe bar R To these drag-bars the shovels or plows are attached, thelatterbeing of any preferred kind and secured in any suitableway. preferto employ fenders such as shown at 37, they being also bolted to thedrag-bar frame. The

drag-bars themselves can be also modified in construction; but-I preferto make them in the way shown and above described, as I thereby providea light, strong, and durable frame work for carrying the shovels. Y

The 'rear portion of each shovel-frame is supported from the wheel-frameas follows:

R is a crossbar for connecting the drag-bars of each shovel-frame, itbeing formed or provided with downwardly -projecting slotted arms r, bywhich each of the drag-bars can be adjusted vertically independently ofthe others. At the .center it 'has an 'eye T to which is looselyconnected a supporting-rod V, there being one of these supporting-rods Von each side of the machine-one for each shovel-frame. These rods V passupward through guide-pieces V, each having a perforated ear 1) at thebottom and a perforated top piece 1).- l

V is a spiral spring placed around the rod V, the ends of thespringibearing, respectively, against the ears or plates 1; v. The rod Vprojects through the perforated plate '0, and is provided witha nut oby'which a positive bearing can be obtained.

K is a rock-shaft mounted in bearings on the Wheel-frame, it having armsK which are pivot-ally connected with pins or studs V,-

formed with guide-pieces V. When the parts are in position, it will beseen that the shovels can be lowered by turning the lever K backward,and that the shovels can be held down under the force of the springs Vif the lever K and arms K are turned backward sufficiently to force theguide-pieces V down 'upon the rods V. When the partsare so arranged, theshovels can rise to pass'obstructions, and atthe same time will beheldwith sufficient pressure for ordinary work. I When it is desired to liftthe shovels out of operation, lever K is thrust forward, which elevatesthe guide-pieces V until plates u come into contact with the nuts orstops 0 after which the shovels will be positively elevated.

Under some circumstances it is desirable to hold the shovels downtotheir work rigidly i and positively, in 'contradistinction to holdingthem under spring-pressure, as above described. This can be accomplishedby placing stops above the rods V, or otherwise positively locking thesaidrods relatively to the guide-pieces V As shown, the latter areformed with upwardly-projecting perforated ear-pieces 1), adapted toreceive bolts V directly above the upper ends of the rods V. When thesebolts are interposed",the' rods cannot rise and the shovels will behelddown rigidly.- I

What I claim is p 1. In aoultivator of the character described,

the combination, with the wheels, the axle, and the draft-frame,'of' thetwo independent shovel-frames adapted to lie one on one side and theotheron the other side of a row of 7 plants, the downwardly-projectingsupporting-bars M, the pivots R the rock-shaft K, mounted directly uponthe axle, the lever K, secured directly to the rock-shaft K, thecrossbar R, secured to each shovel-frame, rod V, guide V, hinged to therock-shaft, the springs V and the removable stop for rigidly connectingthe parts V and V, substantially as set forth.

2; In a cultivator of the character described,

the combination of the wheels, the axle, the

angular brackets A, extending downward from the axle, the pivotedspindles for the wheels, the pivot-bolts a, passing through the bases ofthe brackets and through the wheel-spindles, the loops A secured to anddepending from the axle and surrounding the wheel-spindles, and'therollers L, secured to the wheel-spindles and bearing against said loops,substantially as set forth.

3. In a cultivator'of the characterdescribed, the combination of thewheels, the axle, the frame B B, secured to the axle, the cross-bar B infront of the axle, the bars M, depending from theframe, theshovel-frames pivoted to the bars M and extending to a point behind theaxle, the vertical lifting-rods V, pivoted to the shovel-frames, theadjustable cross-bar R the rock-shaft K, mounted upon the axle, thelever K, the arms K secured to the rocksh'aft and projecting rearwardlyfrom the axle, the guide V, and the spring V substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the wheels, the axle, the draft-frame, the pivotedwheel-spindles, the shovel-frames hinged independently of each other,the lifting devices V V, the rockshaft, the lever K, thevertically-arranged lever H, the swinging bar P, connected to thewheel-spindles, and the horizontally-arranged lever I, also connected tothe vibrating bar P, substantially as set forth.

5. In a cultivator of the character described, the combination of thewheels, the axle, the pivoted wheel-spindles, the loops A having across-barbelow the spindles and a cross-bar above the spindles, and therollers L, secured to the spindles and bearing upon the lowercross-bars, substantially asset forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presenceof two witnesses.

J AMES'H. ALBRIGHT.

Witnesses:

HENRY REIs'rER, WILLIAM M. SHIRELY;

